Elaine
I turned at the sound of footsteps, my body instantly tensing even before I saw who it was. A strange mixture of dread and certainty crawled over my skin like cold fingers, because deep down I already knew. And sure enough, when my eyes landed on the figure stepping into view, it was Carla.
For a heartbeat, I just stared at her. She wasn’t dressed like herself. Gone was the polished, glamorous Carla who always paraded around as if the world existed only to admire her. Instead, she wore sturdy boots, faded jeans, and a thick winter jacket. The sight was so off-putting, so unlike her usual style, that it almost unsettled me more than her sudden appearance. For a second, I could have believed she had shown up here to chop wood or shovel snow rather than stir up chaos. But I wasn’t fo
